Yuri Gagarin was born 9 March 1934 to 27 March 1968.
He was the first man to travel into space when his Vostok spacecraft completed one orbit of Earth, 12 April 1961.
Gagarin became an international celebrity and was awarded many medals and honors, including Hero of the Soviet Union, the nation's highest award.
Career in the Soviet space programSpace Flight
Gagarin became both the first human to travel into space, and the first to orbit Earth. Gagarin had been baptized in the Orthodox church as a child, and a 2011 Foma magazine article quoted the principal of the Orthodox Church.
Death
27 March 1968, during a routine training flight from Chkalovsky Air Base, he died and flight instructor Vladimir Seryogin in a MiG-15UTI crash near the town of Kirzhach.
Legacy
Apart from his short stature of 1.57 meters, one of Gagarin's most remarkable feature was his smile. Many commented on how Gagarin smile got the attention of many in the audience at Gagarin made frequent trips in the months after the Vostok 1 mission success.
50th anniversary
50th anniversary of Gagarin trip into space in 2011 was marked by tributes from around the world. A film titled First Orbit was shot from the International Space Station, which combine original flight audio with pictures of the route that Gagarin.
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